Microsoft has allowed Xbox 720 always-on connection rumors to get out of control

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Yesterday afternoon, Microsoft creative director Adam Orth was caught having a discussion on Twitter with another game developer about the rumors that the Xbox 720 would require an always-on internet connection to function. His thought on the matter? Players should simply “deal with it.” Since this has been a hot topic lately, the internet was quickly whipped into a blind rage, failing to realize that Orth was likely satirically arguing with a personal buddy, and that they were joking around. Calm down, internet.

First, a recap. Rumors have been swirling around for a while now that Microsoft’s upcoming console — the Xbox 720 or NextBox depending on how punny you are — would require an always-on internet connection in order for the console to play games. Yes, even if the games have absolutely no online features whatsoever. The speculated reasons for this tactic end up in two schools of thought. One branch assumes that Microsoft wants to deploy an always-on methodology in order to secretly curb the sale of used games, since an always-on connection would make it easy to identify a used game through the use of online authorization. The other branch assumes Microsoft simply wants to have stronger DRM, and always-on DRM is currently the toughest nut to crack.

Microsoft has stayed silent on the issue, most likely allowing rumors and speculation to run rampant across the wilds of the internet, in order to gauge the reaction. Think of it like a secret survey; it’s actually a brilliant strategy. If the backlash is significant, Microsoft can simply announce the Xbox 720 without the rumored always-on connection, and say they never once said anything about the always-on requirement, which would be true. This would save the company much more face than if it announced the requirement itself, then had to retract the requirement due to the resulting backlash. The strategy makes us look like we’re in the wrong since we overreacted to unfounded rumors, and Microsoft in the right since it still hasn’t announced the requirement. Now, however, with Orth’s comments on Twitter reaching every dark corner of the internet, Microsoft might have to step out of the shadows and finally comment on the always-on connection.

Taken at face value and without context, Orth’s comments (seen above) warrant the backlash they have received since yesterday. In a conversation with BioWare game developer Manveer Heir, Orth said he doesn’t “get the drama around having an ‘always-on ‘ console,” and that all devices are now always-on, and people who don’t have access to the internet should “get with the times” and sign up for service. Obviously, these comments not only sound completely ignorant — disregarding the fact that many people either don’t have access to proper internet speeds in their area, or simply can’t afford the monthly cost — but were delivered in an offensive manner. However, not long after the eruption of angry gamers, Heir himself — the recipient of Orth’s seemingly offensive tweets and ignorant stance — said that Orth is actually a good buddy of his, and that they were just joking around. Heir said that Orth was basically just trolling him. Sure, those statements could just be the result of Heir feeling guilty that he got his friend into internet-trouble, but the more likely answer is that Heir’s statements are the truth.

If you could remove your instant anger about always-on DRM then re-read Orth’s comments again, you’d most likely come to the conclusion that it was all satire — very similar to how Stephen Colbert plays a character that disagrees with all of his real-life beliefs. The problem here, though, is that Orth isn’t a paid comedian, and technically, we can’t see inside either Orth’s or Heir’s brain and know for sure whether they were joking around or not.

This was also not the best time for a Microsoft employee to play the villain without any indication that was what he was doing. The fallout from the always-on Sim City fiasco hasn’t even begin to clear, and not too long before that Diablo III experienced a similar controversy. Whether or not Orth was joking, some of his responses to people truly seem like he believes an always-on console is fine, which is a fine opinion to have because he’s allowed to have an opinion. We may not agree with it, but we can show Microsoft how much we disagree with it by not supporting the console when it releases.

While an always-on connection is a hot-button topic, the real issue with Orth’s statements is that people in a high-ranking position at a company relevant to a hot-button topic don’t have enough wiggle room to make jokes about it. Orth’s statements don’t represent Microsoft’s entire ideology, even if Microsoft does release the Xbox 720 with an always-on requirement. Perhaps there’s a shining light to Orth’s seemingly crazy comments, though. His statements and the resulting backlash might make Microsoft think twice about an always-on requirement before they make it official, and we might avoid it altogether after all. Whatever the case may be, the rumors have gone on long enough and created enough negative press. It’d help Microsoft to finally speak up on the matter, rather than staying silent and gauging reactions.

U know other nations speaks barely English? Talk to him Spanish/Japanese and wait for sarcasm *sigh*

http://twitter.com/theipv6guy The IPv6 Guy

always on internet connection? I sure hope it support IPv6 then.

LZKashmir

It wouldn’t surprise me if they did make it always on. They are the ones who make you pay to play online after all. Xbox “live” was the deciding factor that pushed me over the fence onto the PS3 side of things. I pay for your machine, I pay for internet, I pay for the games…I’ll be damned if I pay to play them on the internet with my friends.

guest

A lot of DUMB people out there would disagree about paying for Xbox live…

http://twitter.com/ParasioDelsol Parasio Del sol

For $50 a year aka chump change ($4.17 a month?), its not enough to rage about. thats like a coffee at starbucks dude.. honestly its not that were dumb, its that xbox is a lot more reliable, has more users with quality mics, more quality competition (you should see how fast i raise my cousin’s kdr on playstation when I visit, even though I dont own one) and are overall better quality people. you still get 12 year olds but nowhere nearly as bad as psn. plus for features like party chat you have to pay $50 extra on PSN anyway…. xbl is a much better experience than PSN. and for that im willing to give up a coffee at starbucks once a month.

but if theres an ALWAYS online requirement, im switching buying the ps4. im sure everyone has dealt with provider problems or modem issues. and the fact that its mandatory says a lot about how cocky M$ has gotten over the past few years

Rain

I agree. XBOX has the better online.. but with always online, and blocking used games..I’m out. I don’t think they get it. my entire family has xbox, 4 360″s in the house not to mention the online friends. But everyone I know and talk to are saying “going PS4 this time” when one leaves the others will come..ironically we made some good friends thru xbox and we all plan on staying together on the PS4..

15975346852

You are one dumb S.O.B… First off the 12-year old factor is way higher on XBL.. Go ask any true gamer, go ask some commentators. Plus you don’t pay to have party chat… You pay $50 for a couple games a month, other content, on top of access to 60 min demos and betas (before others), and larger cloud storage.

So i suggest you taking the M$ D!(K out of your gaping butt-hole and wipe that love juice off your chin…

Your filth… I cannot stand morons who support the stupid console wars. I gladly pay both and see equal pros and cons of both systems.

GatzLoc

So i suggest you taking the M$ D!(K out of your gaping butt-hole and wipe that love juice off your chin…

Sorry have to disagree whit you on that $50 is still real money, and i don’t go to shops like Starbucks, because they ask $4 for a 50 cents coup of caffee.

Its also the reason i almost never buy bottled water, as plain tap water is in most cases even cleaner, and healthier, and a refill cost me next to noting.

So yeah you can say $50 is nothing, but if you put all those little nothings on a list, you find out that you actually spend and wast a hole lot of little nothings on things you could easily do without, or find cheaper alternatives for.

Also buying bulk saves you a lot of money, like a 600g bottle of peanut butter cost €3.75, but a 10kg bucket cost only €26.50, i am saving literately 50% on shop prices.

But then most people don’t wane bother buying and handling bulk, as putting the peanut butter over in a smaller jar is a real pain. ^_^

In a year a save about 35% on groceries, and yeah all those little things do count up, and on the end of the year i save enough for a extra holiday.

You can say its noting, i say every penny is one, and if you ad them up, on the end of the year you will be amazed that ware so many of those penny’s, and that they really added up.

guest

It would be two cups of coffee from Starbucks a month…. I’ll take mine with room….lol. :)

guest

It would be two cups of coffee from Starbucks a month…. I’ll take mine with room….lol. :)

http://www.facebook.com/viliamituanaki Viliami Tuanaki

“plus for features like party chat you have to pay $50 extra on PSN anyway”

No it doesnt you dumbass go take a look at your shit and change it.

” thats like a coffee at starbucks dude”

So what it doesnt cost shit to connect to PSN. Microsoft are charging for something that should be free. Thats why you’re so dumb. It doesnt cost to breathe air does it? Ecspecially not $4.17 a month. It actually costs something to make a cofee at starbucks thats why they charge something and thats why people dont give out Coffee for free.

http://www.facebook.com/viliamituanaki Viliami Tuanaki

Weve found them. The 3 who disliked ur comments

guest

Just the other day I tried to use Netflix on my Samsung Smart TV and it said I had to sign up for Samsung Live and pay $50 a year plus $10 a month for Netflix…what a rip off…. :)

http://twitter.com/jerm1027 Jeremy Garcia

That was also the deciding factor for me when I got the PS3 years ago. It will be a deciding factor again if I get a next-gen console.

Cheesie_Wotsit

The deciding factor for me last time round was multiplatform games looked better on the 360. It doesnt look like its going to mater with next gen as they are both just small gaming PC’s with very similar specs. So im going back over to Sony this time round.

guest

Most people picked up a 360 because PS3 wasn’t out and they didn’t want to wait a year for next gen PlayStation… It would have been different if they launched simultaneously….

http://twitter.com/jerm1027 Jeremy Garcia

That was also the deciding factor for me when I got the PS3 years ago. It will be a deciding factor again if I get a next-gen console.

Robert

Sounds like damage control to me. How’s this for LULZ, take your 720 and Win8 and shove it were the sun don’t shine.

Neon Frank

Don’t you mean shove it where the connection is not?

JDRahman

This is why Steam needs to succeed in the living room. PC performance on a large TV Screen with a decent distribution model like Steam.

Once there’s competition, things will change.

VirtualMark

Pride comes before a fall.

Unit_DTH

*goeth — not comes ;)

Even if this is satirical, which I sincerely doubt, his remarks do reflect a lot of ppl in the “always-on” cities such as LA, SF, NY, etc. I do live in a small place and it’s very rural (Westpoint, TN). I have spotty internet, Wi-Fi DSL via local provider… so my internet goes up and down. If any of the future consoles, or games for that matter go “always-on” then you can count me out! For the reasons stated above and for the simple fact that to support “always-on” someone has to foot the bill, and those “savings” are passed on to the consumer in the way of fees and subscriptions. NO THANK YOU!

http://twitter.com/ParasioDelsol Parasio Del sol

they also gotta know people in rural areas play more games than people in the city. I moved from D.C. to iowa and found my self playing more than i used to. there are SOOO many more passionate gamers here… probably since there isint much else to do in these parts

VirtualMark

I’m English – I like to use the proper sayings, not the American versions!

http://www.facebook.com/viliamituanaki Viliami Tuanaki

They cum first too.

Marius Valasinas

More reasons not to buy one. Ha ha ha!!!! Long live PS4 and Wii U

http://www.facebook.com/people/Robbie-Burns/1164990338 Robbie Burns

Actually, Heir’s comments are summed up with ” the initial comments are what they are and he has to answer that, but the “why would I live there” stuff was him trolling me” That doesn’t sound at all like he is confirming it was all just goodhearted joking.

Joel Hruska

I’ve said this before, I’ll say it again: I won’t buy an always-on console.

I’ve heard some reasonable chatter suggesting that the always-on requirement is a way to ensure *development* consoles don’t leak out. Apparently the Xbox 360 had very similar requirements. And that makes perfectly good sense as a means of controlling who has access to the hardware.

But I won’t buy a console that requires me to stay connected to the Internet just to play games. Maybe it’s because I’ve lived in a number of places where Internet connections were dicey, but that destroys a substantial part of the value proposition.

Fargin Icehole

Absolutely damage control. The sad thing is he insults a large number of gamers (why would I want to live “there”?) and he is seemingly proud of it. My computing dollars already go to Apple since Windows is always so buggy and with attitudes like that, my gaming dollars will also go to their competitors. Good luck MS…it was nice knowing ya!

VirtualMark

Yeah I’m thinking of making the switch to Apple, after years of saying they’re overpriced I may now have to eat my words. I’d rather pay ten times as much tho if it means that I don’t have to use Windows 8.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=677593792 Rhiannon Knowles

Or you could go Linux…. teach both companies not to peddle overpriced shit.
Apple because its actually overpriced, M$ because its actually shit.

VirtualMark

It’s a good point, I have actually thought about it for a while. The problem is that there aren’t enough good programs out for it yet – I make music on my PC and like to use certain synths. I’d love it if Linux became more popular – it seems that it needs to achieve a “critical mass” before more people develop for it.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=677593792 Rhiannon Knowles

You let the M$ shills teach you bout Linux? There’s plenty of support for music creation in Linux.

Yeah get the freak out of here. You don’t know anything about Linux you overworked paper pusher loser…

VirtualMark

Stupid idiot – thanks for your comment. Please let me know:

1) What DAWs are available for Linux, along with the features they support. Such as VST and VST3 support, MIDI features, etc.

2) What VST effects and synths are available for Linux.

I currently use Cubase and have invested in many VST plugins. So:

3) Why I should reinvest in a different operating system and have to learn new programs.

Thanks, idiot. I look forward to your reply.

http://www.facebook.com/robert.morin.75 Robert Morin

This and so many other illogical ad hominem attacks and the venomous haters are disgusting. You all demonstrate your lack of social decorum and stupidity – more so than Microsoft. Oh … sorry, I forgot; you are idiot-savant gamers and totally ignorant in all other matters. :D :p

- Not a MS fan but WP8 is imho the best mobile OS on the moment, coming from a Galaxy S II, with Android 4.0, i find my Lumia 920 a fresh breeze and easier to use compared to Android.

But everyone has there own preferences when it comes to mobiles, but i like how everything is more integrated in the OS it self compared to Android all loos programs and apps, but there are also some tings i miss from Android.

– After getting writ of the ridicules UI of W8, its under the hood actually the better OS with some nice improvements over W7, but only if you need them.

For most people i would say W7 works a lot better out of the box.

As i agree its beyond stupid that you have to hack and modify you OS before you get it to work the way you want it.

– I was not planning to get a new Xbox or PS anyway, at least not new, but yeah always on DRM sucks, but it is not really that bad eider, for most, i just checked my server logs and my 50Mbit internet has bin up for the last 4.5 years with out a hick, but i doubt that everyone will have suds reliable ISP and cable/line.

The only thing, if they have a fuck up whit there DRM servers they will have some real angry users ^_^

But for me it would be a a big minus on the compare list between PS and Xbox, if i ware out to buy one!

Ray C

I actually don’t think the idea of Metro on a desktop is as bad an idea as I originally thought. To be honest when I first heard the rumors over a year ago, I really don’t remember what my complaint was. I think I just didn’t want my desktop to be like an iPad. After using it, I think Metro, in itself is not bad, Microsoft just botched the implmentation of it. Once you get used to it, it’s not that bad. The problem is they shouldn’t have made it where you have to get used to it for most things. I should have been able to sit right down and get right to whatever my 10-15 most common clicks were from the start menu, desktop, and taskbar were. Those could have been IE, WMP, Control Panel, E-mail, All Programs, Computer, Music, or whatever the most common are. I should have been able to sit right down and feel like I’m using the start menu just in a different way. It should have been like clicking on the start menu and it coming up in large icon view instead of list view. That’s stuff that can simply be tweaked. Maybe tile sets is the solution to that. I think most people wouldn’t think to click on their name to logoff. Also there needs to be a back button like on Windows Phone or some other alternative. With ALT+Tab I would have gone crazy when I first download the Windows 8 RC. I think Windows 8 and be tweaked a little and be a pretty good OS. Touch is probably the way of the future. After using phones and tablets for a while, how many of us sit down at a computer and forget for 2 or 3 seconds we’re not using a touchscreen?

Ray C

Well, I’m sure plenty of other people will buy some of these products. I don’t like the always on idea, but at some point literally just have to “deal with it.” Each year the percent of people who have an always on connection increases. Plus right now it’s nothing but rumor. This could have been an idea that was bounced around at MS and somehow an idea turned into a rumor of fact. As for the other products. WP8 is actually a great product, anyone who doesn’t already come in with the mindset of not liking it because it’s from MS will see that. As for Windows 8, anyone who doesn’t think it will have a sales surge at some point, has some wishful thinking against Microsoft. More and more touch monitors are being sold. More and more touch laptops are being sold. I think Windows 8 tablets have made it up to 8% of the tablet market. There will be growth for Windows 8 at some point.

Ray C

I forgot to add that Windows 8 will not always be in it’s current form. There was once a Win98SE. There were service packs released for XP and 7. Microsoft will make updates that will make it more palatable for the average user.

Phobos

I do hope the next xbox does required you to stay connected to the internet, hopefully people will stand up and return it in masses back to the store. It’s ridiculous how MS approaches to such dirty standards.

Susceptible Emilio

People who say “I won’t buy an Net-connected console”…

Guess what? They’ll see the potential great games at E3s and will buy it anyway.

Kasif Khanzada

Lol @ great games. U mean the same games as sony without sony Exclusives.

VirtualMark

Yeah, and this years versions of all the usual franchises, same old.

The only thing I’d miss if I switched to Playstation is Halo.

Patrick Cleveland

I’ve already told my son that when this Xbox dies (#3) we are not buying another one. I hate having to pay for what I already get for free on other consoles. I want to use my Netflix, can’t need a Gold membership, wanted to watch Amazon, can’t need a Gold membership. I pretty much moved over to my PS3 and let him play the Xbox.

http://www.facebook.com/damon.bailey.14 Damon Bailey

Any one else find it amusing that he said “WHEN this Xbox dies”…. not IF….how’s that for your public image MS?

James Huntlefornicate

“hasn’t even begin to clear” (*begun)

http://www.facebook.com/ramone.ennis.5 Ramone Ennis

if this is real, Microsoft has already lost to Sony. This device will be nothing more than what it truly is…….a fucking box

Robert Foy

The very simple FACT that they postponed the debut of the XBOX by several months means exactly that: they got caught with their pants down thinking Sony was going to get on the bandwagon. But Sony has people with higher IQ’s than MS it seems and they let the rumors spread so that MS would get cozy with the idea and lead them on through this little thing called “corporate warfare and disinformation”. Sony knew that it was a bad idea to go the “no used games” route and they knew MS would want to do that. So they most likely spread the rumors to make it look like they were going to do this and MS probably thought “OK, we can do this as well cus if we do this and Sony does it, who are consumers gonna go to besides us muwhahaha?”. Now Sony has the leg up, and MS has to go back and redesign their system to take out the always on/no used games bullshit.

There is no other real reason to have postponed the debut except that. By all accounts they were going to go full retard on showing it, but Sony did the old fashioned switcharoo and MS has lube dripping down their legs from the royal anal rape that Sony’s corporate disinformation network has wreaked on them.

Chinese companies do this all of the time, just look at the troubles Apple is going through over there and all of the “leaks” and complaints can be traced back to people who work for Apple’s competitors in China.

Watch.

But, knowing the “too big to fail” mentality of the assholes who are running Microsoft, they will stick to their rotten course like they did with the inferior Windows 8. Instead of listening to customers when it came to Windows 8, namely no START button, no DEFAULT desktop…for….the desktop, they force the tile shit for PC users who don’t nor want nor need for a desktop PC. Instead of giving an OPTION for the person installing Windows 8 to go either tile/touch setup or basic desktop/start button setup, you know, things that intelligent people with IQ’s above 80 know should have been there in the first place as an option, they try to do their limited intelligence quotient imitation of Steve Jobs TELLING us what they think we want. Guess what Microsoft, we already know what we want. And Windows 8 wasn’t it. Not for PCs. Nor is an online-only XBOX console.

As evidenced by the free market that took a giant shit all over Windows 8. And by the evidence that people will not buy the XBOX720 (as if 720p is an “upgrade” lol).

dre8791

What suck brilliance you have there. You and myself are on the same brain wave.

mori bund

Thank you for that great comment.
Looks like you’ve read my mind. ^^

VirtualMark

It certainly is a strange business model that Microsoft have adopted lately! They don’t seem to be interested in their customers at all, I don’t understand how they have forgotten one of the most basic rules of business.

Neutrino .

Perhaps when they reached the point where they had more money than anyone else in the whole world they thought that the normal rules didn’t apply to them.

An easy trap to fall into… (or so I’ve heard).

http://www.facebook.com/robert.morin.75 Robert Morin

They haven’t forgotten. How could they forget something they never knew? They have become as pompous, bombastic, vacuous and arrogant as Apple. “Monkey see monkey do.”

Havoc70

They can take their always on BS and shove it. Microslop stupidity at its finest

Shambels

I bet Microsoft is allowing all these rumors to happen so everyone tunes into the unveiling of the nextbox. If these rumors are true it will be the first time I buy a playstation.

http://www.facebook.com/viliamituanaki Viliami Tuanaki

Wishfull thinking….

Blakkout

All you dudes playing Playstation still fail to realize that even having to pay for online, Xbox servers are way more consistent and runs laps around Sonys PS Network. So i’d rather pay for a good online experience than play on crappy one for free!

http://www.facebook.com/viliamituanaki Viliami Tuanaki

And you just had to bring this up when people are getting mad over the next alway-online xbox.

Kasif Khanzada

Dont have any issues playing ps3 online. Ps4 should make it better. And from what ms is doing, See u on psn blakkout

jonathan muhumuza

It wouldn’t surprise me if Microsoft is letting these rumors spread, just so more gamers can watch the announcement and find out that the rumors are false and they could get free press. That’s wishful thinking though. I do think that Microsoft have something up their sleeve that will entice gamers to buy the Nextbox. They must have some sort of stratergy…

jonathan muhumuza

It wouldn’t surprise me if Microsoft is letting these rumors spread, just so more gamers can watch the announcement and find out that the rumors are false and they could get free press. That’s wishful thinking though. I do think that Microsoft have something up their sleeve that will entice gamers to buy the Nextbox. They must have some sort of stratergy…

Kasif Khanzada

I don’t think a company is ms position wants to trade free press with bad press

Terrence Finley

I won’t be a part of the Xbox community next gen if this is true, I can’t connect to live since the major update last year. Every one my devices can connect to my network except the Xbox. And it doesn’t seem like I am the only one with this issue yet they still haven’t fixed the issue.

http://www.ahmedeltawil.com Ahmed Eltawil

The media needs to stop calling Microsoft’s next console “Xbox 720″. Microsoft never said that it would be called that. There hasn’t been a single source that proved that either. Grrrr…

http://www.ahmedeltawil.com Ahmed Eltawil

The media needs to stop calling Microsoft’s next console “Xbox 720″. Microsoft never said that it would be called that. There hasn’t been a single source that proved that either. Grrrr…

Dante Chinni Jr.

clearly Microsoft enjoys pissing off the general public. As said below the fact that they charge for Xbox Live is insane. But what really set me off was waiting in the god damn cold for four hours to get a console it started flashing three red lights a month after I had it. I was told I get a brand new one in the mail and instead I got the same refurbish piece of junk with the new fan in it. I hope they come out with an online only console so we can bury it right next to their garbage Windows 8 Phone.

VirtualMark

I never minded the Xbox Live fee – the service was miles ahead of the Playstation when it came out.

But I was in the same boat as you – I had 2 Xbox 360s die on me, and didn’t get any help from Microsoft. So I didn’t buy a 3rd out of principle.

I think when they send out the reconditioned ones you only get a few weeks warranty too, it takes the piss.

http://twitter.com/philrupyo Choppa

I really really hate m$. When thr 36.0 came out i sat there at best buy staring at it for 3 hrs. Then i thought hey i have a ps1a ps2 i guess i can wait for ps3 andim happy. Fanboys talk about there great server compaired to ps3 but did u watch the ps4 reveal.Guess what? ps4 will have the fastest gaming network. And it will still be free. Playstation plus is a great deal with all the free games like infamous 2 just cause 2 and so on. So y woukd ms be always on? Because they will always be watching u.Throuh konect 2.0. They will see what your doing at all times what your eating drinking just so they can market to you eaven more. PS4 will do the same but they will market gakes to u . I for one will stay with sony.

http://twitter.com/deadlyouth Ramiro Vasquez

lol ps4 is bringing subscriptions too idiot lol

Kasif Khanzada

No idiot, but to play games online will be always free on the psn according to sony

Dee

There are a few problems with always on connection. 1. internet speeds (and making people who cant afford better internet speeds or where there high speeds arent available…suffer). 2. Some people dont like to play games online, so why should they be forced to buy internet for it (if they dont have the money)…3. im living in Germany…and there are problems with certain sites or restrictions where i cant access sites (ill be forced to buy VPN service)

smackbo

Microsoft will not put out a product that relies on some other external product in order to work properly .. Why would msft put out a great product when half the country has crappy internet connections .. Everyone just needs to stop listening to the hype and think before they freak out … Its just bad business to realese a highly anitcipated product and then limit its use for over half of your customer base … Won’t happen msft isn’t that dumb guys

Kasif Khanzada

Think it will happen. They r not dumb but arrogant enough to folllow through with it. Relaying too much on overrated halo followers.

smackbo

If they do they will release two versions .. One that is always connected … I think it would be suicide if they do that ..unless it was just for a verification process to cobfirm that i am the owner of this game I’m plating but if the games are only streaming then my bandwidth caps won’t allow it and i would be forced to buy a ps4

Cheesie_Wotsit

Its too late, ive made my mind up and am moving back over to Sony. Sorry Microsoft. I just play games for the campaigns, dont want all the online plop. Sucks for you because i bought 50+ Xbox 360 games. Now i shall get 50+ Playstation 4 games.

james

i don’t live in the city the internet i have is a virgin mobile hot spot.i pay 35$ a month for 2 gigs of data i could not play the xbox 720 if it had to have the internet

Leonel Gonzalez

We should learn something from the Japanese, that is how they take pride in backing their home grown companies like Sony. That’s one of the main reasons why the Xbox 360 failed in Japan. I for one will be getting the new Xbox weather it is always online or not.

Kasif Khanzada

Not giving my $$ to anyone who is going to use patriotism to sell its product. Use the product and what can it do for me. Not what I can do to make u more $$

VirtualMark

Yeah that’s the way I see it too. I’m not a fanboy of any brand – the company is only as good as the last product I bought from them. In Microsofts case – that was my 2 broken Xbox 360s, which they refused to fix as they were out of warranty, even though it was a design flaw.

VirtualMark

Yeah that’s the way I see it too. I’m not a fanboy of any brand – the company is only as good as the last product I bought from them. In Microsofts case – that was my 2 broken Xbox 360s, which they refused to fix as they were out of warranty, even though it was a design flaw.

Xellion

lol, well they can gauge the reaction by counting the number of people who’ve already declared for PS4 due to this “rumor”

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1775808882 Aaron Johnson

It’s kinda sad…Microsoft’s bleeding out at every turn. PC’s, Win 8, WP 8, RT’s, Surface, and now the 720 that they haven’t even officially announced yet.

Kasif Khanzada

True, loosing battles on every front

smackbo

Losing battles ? I think everyone is so brainwashed with using garbage that when something innovative and great comes out they look at it and can’t figure out how to use it so they revert back to the garbage they were using before …windows 8 is great and i love my windows phone .. It feels good using a phone that not only works great but has a beautiful UI too

Ray C

I think Microsoft saw growth in every product except Windows 8 according to an article on either this site or TechRadar. I believe they’re up to 8% in the tablet market and growing, and I think that will only increase as the Pro tablets start being released. I rarely use the iPad I was giving for anything other than games and social media beside a quick internet lookup. If I had a surface pro, I’d imagine I’ll find more use for it. I think all it will take is for one of the Win8 or WP8 products to take off and the others will be able to ride it’s coat tails. Some people will switch to PS4. Many of them were probably previous Sony owners anyway, but for a large majority of people, I don’t think always on will bother them that much. I don’t think it will sway most of the people who get on XBL daily anyway. And always on might not be litterally “always on.” IT could simply be that you have to connect online at least once like you have to do with a lot of PC games. A lot of people who play X-Box are college students. There aren’t many college students who don’t have a connection in their dorm or apartment. I think we might find in the end that this will only bother a small percentage of the X-box sales base.

Ray C

And let’s not forget there is always a big camp of internet rage that often doesn’t translate to real world numbers

Naipier

Orth’s commentary is elitist and out of line… Particularly for someone who is supposed to be an executive. You don’t get the luxury of telling your target audience “deal with it” without repercussions. Were it merely a Microsoft underling or latest hire, this would be a non issue… but that it was indeed someone who has directive authority indicates the general mentality of the company…which appears to be one of insensitivity and disregard to the very people who will determine if the company succeeds or fails. Not smart. This will cost Microsoft.

Zac

My xbox is now a doorstop.. Sorry my third xbox is a doorstop because they all died. Very happy with my PS3 that I’ve had for 4 years now. Thats 4 times longer than any of my xbox’s.
I will be going with PS4. Fuck microsoft.

smackbo

My xbox works great .. I wonder if you had it enclosed in an entertainment center or something .. Sounds fishy that all of your Xbox’s are broken

Ray C

Yeah that is odd. I never had an X-box or 360 die on me. I never had any problems with them I wasn’t able to get taken care of. I know a lot of people with both systems and they never had a problem either. I know there are reports of people that had problems, but 2 or 3 systems, rarely hear of that.

Gary Smith

These idiots have got to be kidding. They put out windows 8 and now this? Are they drunk?

Who the hell is gonna buy this garbage?

smackbo

I think windows 8 is great .. Its nice to see somebody trying to inovate in this space .. But what do i know apple has sold the same phone for 7 years and noones complained yet haha .. I think Microsoft is going to pave the way for something really cool .. But everyone is afraid of change so thats why you hate it … Embrace the change its going to be ok

Ray C

I actually think Microsoft is playing the long game. Never say never. For Sony to say they will NEVER charge is something I can’t trust. IF they say they will NEVER had always on, I won’t believe that either. Remember when chargin for XBL was supposed to kill X-box and the 360? It iddn’t happen. Always on, if they do it, won’t kill it either. Microsoft is playing the long game. Of course PS2 beat out X-Box. MS was new to the game. Anyone who thinks 360 only beat out PS3 because it came out first has to be a Sony fanboy. It did well because people knew they could make a good gaming console. It wasn’t a new idea. The same will be the case for the new system. I don’t know who will win the console wars, but MS will sale plenty of systems. They really don’t need to outsale PS4. They don’t Windows 8 to outsale Windows 7. That’s what people fail to realize. A lot of people are still buying or just recently upgrading to Windows 7. Microsoft is playing the long game. Windows 8.1 is coming out soon. By the time they need Windows 8.x to start selling, people will be more used to it, and it will be selling. Millions of people are still going to by the new X-box. What MS wants to do is get enough of them out there to build up a base for the next X-Box after that one and push its other products and the MS ecosystem.

smackbo

Msft has serious balls .. I heard today that they are releasing a slimed down version the xbox 360 for $99 along with the new xbox .. They will have the goods for every kind of video consumer … The key to sales is to have the goods if you don’t have the goods noone will buy from you just look at sony they had a great machine but it was way too expensive and too hard to make games so they didn’t sell as well as the xbox

rcsteiner

A person who represents a corporation needs to be very careful when making public comments about that corporation or its products/services. *shrug*

cohara1103

After reading all the hatred about always connected 720 am pretty sure not 100% but i think the always on requirement is DOA theres just no way for xbox to do this without screwing up the whole system and making it unplayable paper weight….never mind all the lost sales……the article says was more of a trail balloon throw out a rumor and gage response if its bad hey we never said we were going to do it……and if no one cared well you get the point

ronch

I hope these big companies understand that an always-connected DRM scheme will never work. It’s just too troublesome.

stevenshearing

Last gen have been controlled by xbox360 but this next gen is returning to good old play-station 4, rumors have it the ps4 is almost double the speed of the xbox 720 but it is still only rumor, las gen was controlled by the strongest machine so you would expect the same trend to follow which is ps4.

http://www.facebook.com/tarkan.huseyin Tarkan Huseyin

Love my xbox 360 got over 130000 gamerscore but if a lot of stuff about the new console turns out to be true ps4 will be next console purchase built in kinect which is crop and don’t need weaker specs then ps4 I have Internet but this always on connection is a joke and blocking used games sure way to kill your brand

reter113

Ps4:1
Xbox 720:0

http://www.facebook.com/william.semple William Semple

Get over it… If you don’t like it, don’t buy it! Wait until official information is available, before you start panicking and complaining…

Jonny

Awesome! I just got some Microsoft Points for free from freemspointsforever com

I have the feeling all this DRM rhetoric, though unexpected from Sony to Microsoft, is part of a strategy and everyone is falling on it.

http://twitter.com/mstrbass2000 BRENT

let reporters/pundits spread false rumors,get console fans to frenzy status,then give em what they want even though it was never gonna do that anyway,stupid fan thinks they won and goes to buy the 720 in mass

This is the same Microsoft that ignored a year’s worth of vocal bitching about the Metro UI and you want your readers to believe that MS actually cares what the market reaction will be for requiring an always-on internet connection?

Well, i`m sharing my support for the Xbox Live. So yeah, and i do know that the new PS4 will have problems playing games online like the PS3 and PS2. So, what do you have to say about it?

Tuxy79

If the next Xbox launches with ‘always-on’ l will not buy it.

http://www.facebook.com/gokusayswut Thor Theimpaler Davis

So many Sony fanboys/girls on this topic – offering their invalid input.
$50 is a lot if you work in a sweat shop I suppose, but paying $50 to play on line knowing you are safe from server-wide hackers is pretty much awesome.
How many times have the PS servers been hacked in the past four years? After you figure out the answer, compare it to the number of times XBL has been breached (and noticeably compromised, in case any of you pumkins try to pull the whole “but wut if dey got hax n dident tell u” rabbit out of a hat.). I think you’ll find a subtle difference, especially if you use FREE>=PAY as a reference.
Fortunately, for me, I game on my PC – which is far superior to any console that is, or probably will be within the next ten years.
And chances are that Microsoft will NOT make it an “always on – internet connected” console, and they most likely wont forbid the use of used games seeing as how people like to play relatively older games that they never got a chance to, and they are almost always used.
Look at it like this….none of you will ever know true gaming until you have a true gaming piece of hardware, which a console isn’t. L2GAME ON A PC!

vincent saiz

Microsoft should just deal with no one buying your new invasive system

disqus_9APzUpXdoe

here it is in the simplest terms. If you purchase the new xbox via subscription then of course MS needs to be able to kill the box if you dont pay the bill, hence the need for always on internet. However if you purchase the box upfront, like many will, then ya dont need to worry about that do you?! PAS

I been a Full PC Gamer and part time Xbox User, this time i will be a Full PC Gamer and part time PS4.

chris

Yea xbox be bullshiting too much! I wanted to buy the 720 but im having second thoughts. Dont get me wrong the 360 is best gaming system I had so far. But not knowing whats going on with this system is even doubting me more. And reading all this negative stuff about the new xbox having internet always on and different price ranges it makes me not wanna buy it no more.

I never owned a PS in my life because I never like their unconfortable controll, but im thinking about switching to PS4 this time seeing that they made sum changes to the controll by making it bulkier and seeing that PS is on its game. And the features look pretty koo. It seems like less of a headace just my opionion.

Ps: I hate the fact that we the xbox fans havent heard shit from microsoft about the xbox. Their leaving everyone in the dark… at least show something like a controller.

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